Animals are becoming nocturnal to avoid humans, and that could mean trouble

Animals that live near human activity are becoming nocturnal just to avoid us, and the implications for ecosystems around the world could be huge.

A team of researchers conducted a meta-analysis which included data about 62 species across six continents and found an overwhelming trend: To avoid encountering humans, animals are becoming nocturnal at the expense of their biologically predetermined schedules.

Of the species studied that typically split their activity equally between day and night, more than 80 percent of those living near humans increased their nighttime activity. The new results were published in the journal Science this week. Read more…